This is a recipe I created based on the idea of tradition basil pesto. I wanted to make a healthier pesto and find a way to feed those leafy greens to my family and friends when they get sick of salads and steaming. This is also a great way to preserve large amounts of greens. I often make a few batches at the end of the garden season.

I’m not much of a recipe follower, but I love cookbooks and recipes for the seed (pun intended) of inspiration. I encourage you to use whatever greens and seeds or nuts you have on hand and whatever flavors you’re craving. I like to spread this on toast, sandwiches (particularly tempeh Ruebens – I’ll give you that recipe next time), add to salads, as a veggie or cracker dip, mixed in with grains, pastas, on eggs, really it can go on anything savory.

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, any variety - You can also use any or a combination of collard greens, broccoli leaves, chard, beet greens, carrot tops etc. Literally any hardy greens.

1/2 cup sunflower seeds - Sunflower seeds are particularly delicious to me, but you can use pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or a combination etc. If using something less oily like almonds, soak them first for a few hours.

1-2 tsp turmeric powder - This is less for the flavor and more for the health benefits. I add turmeric to everything. It’s high in anti-inflammatory and antioxidant nutrients.

2-4 cloves of garlic

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

1/4 cup olive oil and/or coconut oil

Pinch of salt and pepper

Any other spices you like to use. I am very fond of smoked paprika

​ Instructions

Loosely chop up greens and place in a food processor. Pulse or run for a few seconds.

Add seed/nuts and again pulse or run for a few seconds until things start to look combined and mealy.

Add the rest of the ingredients and run for about 10 seconds. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sides of the container and run again for 5-10 second.

Add more oil if it feels too thick. I like the consistency to be pasty so I can spread it, like peanut butter. It can be as chunky or as creamy and you prefer.

Store pesto in a mason jar in the fridge and label it with the date. It will likely last for about 3 weeks.

Raki is a writer, artist, yoga teacher, avid gardener, and part-time receptionist at Wellness Minneapolis. She is committed to growing and cooking healthy and delicious food for her friends and family, and, if she had to eat her way out of a room full of something, it would be dill pickles. Or pickled dilly beans. Or green olives. Click here to learn more about her art and yoga classes.

I love backpacking. Getting deep in to the woods, miles from anyone else and being totally immersed in nature is pure bliss. One major challenge for backpacking is how do you bring nourishing food to last several days that is light and easy to bring along? An even bigger challenge is doing this on a low carb diet! I had to tackle this head on getting ready for a backpacking trip this summer. My partner and I spent many hours researching and preparing so I want to share with you what I have learned. This isn’t a typical recipe blog more of a how-to guide to plan for healthycamping/backpacking meals.

Breakfast:Most backpackers rely on oatmeal for a satisfying breakfast. It is light to carry and easy to prepare. So we didn’t stray far from this classic we found Wildway Grain Free Instant Hot Cereal. We tried four of their flavors and my favorite was toasted coconut. We brought along some chia seeds and coconut oil to add to this breakfast.Net carbs= 8g

Lunch:In the middle of the day we were moving so we didn’t really want to sit down and eat a big meal so we broke lunch up in to two smaller meals.

Meal 1: We brought along with us some pecans and my favorite turkey jerky by Vermont Smoke and Cure. Eating ¼ cup of pecans and 2 jerky sticks each gave us enough fuel to make it to our second smaller meal.Net carbs= 3g

Meal 2: We combined chocolate protein powder, fiber powder, greens powder and powdered coconut milk with water for a chocolate pick me up drink. My current favorite protein powder is NutriDyn’s Chocolate Paleo Protein. We also use NutriDyns fruits and greens powders for an extra boost. My favorite is their espresso flavor.

Net carbs= this will depend on what fiber you use and if you choose to add a greens powder. The greens powder does increase the carb count for us this came out to 9 grams.

Protein:We have a dehydrator and used that to dehydrate several pounds of ground beef. (insert picture of dehydrating beef). The process is quite simple you cook the beef thoroughly, strain off the fat (I know this isn’t very ketogenic but in order dry properly and keep it from spoiling it must be done) and pat it dry with a paper towel. Then spread it out on the dehydrator. We found that after a few hours it helps to move it around to ensure if fully dries out. It’s amazing how small a pound of ground beef becomes

Next time we will try dehydrating chicken. This time we settled for some chicken pouches that we took with us on shorter trips.

Veggies:For vegetables we didn’t have the time or energy to dehydrate ourselves this trip so settled for buying dehydrated broccoli, spinach, onion and celery. We made individual pouches combining these and used them with every dinner. In the end we didn’t like the celery. It never rehydrated well and was quite chewy so I would leave that one out.

For multiday backpacking we used pouches of spices that we assembled at home. My favorite was a curry we put together. For days that we weren’t hiking far we used premade sauce mixes.

Fat:We brought two small jars of coconut oil to add to our meals. We also had some packets of almond butter to add to our curry dinner as well as powdered coconut milk. We bought a few unripe avocados and managed to keep them safe and added them to a few of our dinners as well.

Putting it all together:The dehydrated beef worked out surprisingly well. We did discover that it works best if you add the beef to a bowl with a few cups of water and let it sit covered for at least 30 minutes before starting to cook. Once the dehydrated beef was pretty well rehydrated we used our camping stove to heat the beef, add more water if needed and added the spices/flavor pouch and vegetables. Cook until everything is rehydrated.

Tips:We didn’t factor in how much sweating we would do and how much extra sodium we would require. We did bring along electrolyte packets to take once per day but a few days in I was starting to get lightheaded and realized I needed more salt. We make a quick stop and picked up some more salt before continuing on our way. A low carb diet often increases your salt requirements so if you will be sweating a lot in addition make sure you bring extra salt!

If you have any camping food tips please comment below. We are always looking for new ideas.it.

Dr.Sara Jean Barrett is Co-Founder of Wellness Minneapolis and a naturopathic doctor who treats patients of all ages with a variety of health concerns. Her passion for her practice is demonstrated in the strong relationships she builds with her patients. It’s those relationships that allow her to more deeply identify underlying causes of health issues and provide patients with personalized, natural health care options. Learn more about Dr. Barrett by visiting her professional website.

Summer is finally upon us and I could not be more excited for backyard games, cookouts, and coleslaw! While I love all things cabbage I’m pretty particular about coleslaw, and have never really enjoyed the typical creamy, sweet slaw dressings. And, yet, even greater than my love for cabbage is my love for all foods Asian or that are made with an Asian twist. Now you can see why this recipe is a win-win for me, and a staple in my recipe box. Even my toddler loves this recipe!

The best part about making a slaw is that there is a lot of room for “play.” Don’t like an ingredient? Take it out. Have extra veggies in your fridge that are about to go bad? Chop ‘em up and add them. Don’t tolerate a dressing ingredient? Substitute it. You really can’t go wrong.

On a side note – I often make the dressing portion of this recipe on its own and use it as a dip for fresh veggies. It keeps in the fridge for a couple weeks, and is a great mid-afternoon snack. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Dr. Sidney Pharis is a board certified Naturopathic Doctor trained in family practice, providing care to patients of all ages. In addition to working with many chronic conditions, she is ﻿passionate about preventative care and building the foundation of health within the pediatric population. She is committed to educating and empowering her patients on how to live healthy and fulfilled lives, and provides each patient with the necessary tools to do so. Read more about Dr. Pharis here.

I LOVE a good salsa! And in the summer I'm especially drawn to ones that incorporate fresh fruits. Sometimes in addition to the mango, we add in peaches or pineapple depending on what looks good while we are grocery shopping or perusing the farmer's market. This snack is a big hit at our house on sunny summer afternoons. Bonus points if it's enjoyed outdoors!!

Ingredients:

1 mango, diced

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 med avocado, diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch of himalayan salt

pinch of fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

juice from 1/2 lime

**optional: add in other diced fruits

Directions:

Mix together.

Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.

**Also delicious over a piece of seared fish.

Bri Dunbar offers individual, couples and family therapy to encourage the health and healing of the mind and body. Therapy utilizes traditional psychological theories and techniques while also incorporating yogic concepts and mindfulness skills.Learn more about Bri here.

I am a huge fan of young coconuts and someday will live in a place where I can get them straight from the tree. The first time I made this smoothie I became obsessed with it and made it every day for weeks. It is refreshingly hydrating in the summer and a great way to bulk up on your greens. I adapted this recipe from a version of Kris Carr's.

Take your own photos of this recipe and tag us on instagram @wellnessmpls

Handfuls of spinach and/or Romaine lettuce (as much as you can pack into the blender)

Big handful of sprouts (I like alfalfa)

1 cucumber

Pinch of cinnamon

Whichever greens you like in addition to these

Tiny splash of maple syrup to taste if you like a little extra sweet

Directions:

Open young coconut and pour the water into a jar. Scrape the flesh out and place in blender. If you have never opened a coconut here are some helpful instructions. You can also find videos if that's your preferred learning method.

Place avocado, greens, cucumber and sprouts into the blender with the coconut and pour the coconut water in as the liquid to blend your smoothie.

Blend until everything is smooth and creamy. Add a pinch of cinnamon and a splash of maple if you like and blend some more. Pour into glasses and serve!

If your coconut oil is solid at room temperature (in the fall and winter usually) use a metal bowl and melt the coconut oil over low heat. Once the coconut oil is liquid add some cocoa powder and stir until dissolved. How much cocoa powder you use depends on how strong you want the chocolate flavor

Pour in frozen blueberries while stirring quickly to coat the blueberries before the coconut oil hardens.

Let the coated blueberries sit while you either whip cream or make coconut whipped cream (below) for a creamy topping!

Coconut whipped cream1. Let a can of coconut milk sit for at least 1 day in the refrigerator. This will separate the think coconut cream from the thin coconut liquid.2. Open the can and scoop out a few TBS of the thick coconut cream3. Add vanilla and whip just like you would whip whipping cream4. Enjoy your coconut whipped cream!

Dr. Sara Jean Barrett is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and co-founder of Wellness Minneapolis. She is also the President of the Minnesota Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a Member of the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Click here to learn more about Dr. Barrett.

In this summer heat I am desperate for some dairy free frozen treats. I made a large batch of these bites and they didn't last long!Ingredients:A few very ripe bananasCoconut oilCocoa powderVanillaSalt

Directions:

Chop the bananas in to bite sized discs and place on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper

Place bananas in freezer until frozen solid (note don't let the bananas defrost during the following steps- may need to place back in the freezer to keep them frozen. Letting them defrost and refreeze will cause the bananas to have more of an 'ice' texture)

Watery fruits like watermelon, tomatoes and cucumbers are not only hydrating, but packed with natural electrolytes that keep our body chemistry in balance. Snack on these fruits on a hot summer day instead of sipping sports drinks that are comprised of artificial sweeteners, flavorings and colors. This savory-sweet salad is a delicious compliment to BBQ fare.

Whisk these ingredients together and call it delicious. Good ingredients make all the difference so buy the best quality you can reasonably afford. Makes 8 servings.Garlic Vinaigrette From In the Green Kitchen by Alice WatersRaw garlic gives this dressing a spicy punch (vampires beware). Makes 4 servingsIngredients:

1 small garlic clove

salt

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

fresh-ground black pepper

3-4 Tbsp olive oil

Put the garlic and 2 big pinches of salt in a mortar and pound into a puree, with no chunks remaining. Add the wine vinegar, grind in some black pepper and taste for a balance of salt and vinegar. Allow this to macerate for a few minutes, and whisk in olive oil. Taste the dressing with a leaf of lettuce. It should taste bright and lively without being too acidic or too oily; adjust the salt, vinegar, or oil as needed.

Ice Pops (aka popsicles) are a summer staple, but so many popsicles and icy treats available in the supermarket have more ingredients than I have cousins - which is a lot! Not only that, they're full of sugar and added sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, and preservatives. Who needs it?

Making your own delicious ice pops is as simple as can be. All you need is a mold, popsicle sticks, a few simple ingredients, and viola! The best dang ice pop you could taste on a sweltering day - which is what we're headed for here in Minnesota. It is summer after all.

Chop the fruit and herbs, and add them evenly between the popsicle molds. Mix the coconut and maple syrup (if using) and pour over the fruit. Give each mixture a little stir, then cap the mold, insert sticks and freeze for several hours. Yum!

What unique concoctions can your conjure up? I made Sour Cherry Mint and Vanilla Peach (pictured above) and both were delish!

Jesse Haas is a co-founder of Wellness Minneapolis and a Board Certified Holistic Health Coach. She is also pursuing a MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. Click here to learn more about Jesse.